Obake
by Byakugou
Summary: Written for the Heaven and Earth Tenth Anniversary contest. Sixteen year old Haruno Sakura believed she had no choice in her future and with her parents talking of marriage, she feels more trapped than ever. But, a chance meeting with a mysterious stranger leads Sakura to wonder if, maybe, she can choose her fate after all. Feudal Japan/Fantasy AU. NaruSaku.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Finally, I'm back. It's been a long time since I posted anything, way too long. Very, very sorry. I had a crazy, stressful year. This fic is written for the H&amp;E Tenth Anniversary contest, though I really just did it for the challenge, not to win anything. I apologize in advance for any OOC-ness, this is _very_ AU. I literally just finished it this morning so I hope the end result isn't too sloppy. Probably when this is all finish I will go back and spruce it up.

Also, see the end of the chapter for additional notes.

* * *

Her mother was waiting for her on the veranda as Haruno Sakura made her way through the garden, intending to sneak in unnoticed. It had worked well for her in the past when she'd absconded from the house for an hour or two to herself away from her mother's domineering presence. But now her plan was ruined and she knew she wasn't likely to get out again for a good long while after this. She should have known her mother would find her out sooner rather than later. It was probably that new servant girl, running to tell the lady of the house when she'd noticed Sakura missing. But there was no way to know for sure.

Sakura could feel her mother's heavy, disapproving gaze on her, and the weight of it did not leave Sakura for even a moment as she approached. Haruno Mebuki stood tall and straight and Sakura couldn't help feeling like a small, disobedient child before her, even more so when Mebuki looked at her that way. Sakura was unable to bring herself to lift her head, for the shame she felt at having been caught – though not for sneaking out in the first place, which she was aware _should _have been the source of her shame.

Abruptly, Mebuki turned and walked inside and Sakura knew without being told that she was meant to follow. She didn't want to; part of her thought of turning around and running back into the woods in hopes of avoiding the inevitable lecture a little while longer, but she knew she could not. Her feet moved separate of her will to follow through the doorway after her mother.

Once inside, Sakura sat down on the tatami, head bowed, and waited while Mebuki closed the shoji and lowered then herself to sit across from Sakura. Legs tucked neatly underneath her, Mebuki smoothed her hands over the folds of her kimono over her lap, evening out any wrinkles so the cloth lay flat.

The two of them certainly made for a very noticeable contrast to the other, Sakura realized with some embarrassment.

Earlier that morning, Sakura had opted to leave her hair loose instead of plaiting it or pinning it up and it now fell in windswept tangles down to her mid-waist. She had to resist the sudden urge to make her unkempt hair more presentable by combing her fingers through the knots. There was dirt under her chipped nails, and smears of dirt on the fine cloth of her kimono from trekking through the forest and kneeling on the ground to dig up the herbs and plants she'd found to use for her medicines.

Her mother's appearance gave a very different impression. Mebuki's straw colored hair was tidily arranged on top of her head, and her clothing was spotless. She was clean, proper and elegant in a way Sakura knew she was not. She tried, she truly did, but she wasn't like her mother and she couldn't help the way she chafed against the restraints of her class and sex.

"How many times are we going to have to go over this Sakura?" Mebuki finally said, her voice controlled, though Sakura could hear the edge of anger under the words.

Sakura lifted her head and met her mother's hard gaze, and the green eyes that glinted in the low light like twin shards of jade. There was a long, silent moment in which they simply stared at each other, and for perhaps the first time she could remember Sakura refused to look away or lower her head.

If there was one thing she and her mother did undoubtedly have in common, it was their eyes. Green as the grass after a spring rain, they were beautiful, enchanting eyes. And they were also fierce, knowing eyes that had a way of making one feel small and exposed. Sakura would know. She had felt that way many times under Mebuki's penetrating stare, especially when she had been small and caught doing something she shouldn't have.

"I only went for a walk," Sakura said at last, offering no apology and giving no sign of remorse. "I needed to find some herbs I ran out of." From her sleeve, she took out a small pouch and opened it to show the roots and leaves of the medicinal plants she'd gathered on her walk through the forest.

"There was no reason for you to do that yourself. You could easily have sent someone to retrieve whatever you needed _for_ you," Mebuki said in exasperation.

"I prefer to do these things for myself, Okaasan," Sakura said, making an effort to keep herself calm as she spoke. She knew it would do her no good to lose her temper. It would only give her mother further reason to believe she lacked maturity. "There is so little I'm allowed to do for myself, especially now. It isn't fair that I can't have something to do on my own."

Mebuki sighed. "Sakura-chan, I'm sure you know that the freedoms you've had in the past are far beyond what any other girl of you station would ever be allowed. Your father has always indulged your whims and let you do what you wanted." She paused, and the shadow of regret in her eyes was reflected in her voice when she continued.

"And I did not always give you the discipline I should when you were still a child, but now you are a young woman. It's time for you to rein in your wilder tendencies and start practicing temperance. When you are married you will have responsibilities that you cannot neglect. A household, children, and a husband that you'll need to attend to. You won't be able to just run off whenever the notion takes you."

"I know, Okaasan," said Sakura, harsher than she'd intended. She had already heard all of this so many times, and each time left her filled with a sick feeling of dread at the reminder of her impending marriage.

Only in her private thoughts would she be able to admit she didn't really want to marry, not right now at least. Had she a choice, Sakura would have rather waited and married someone she knew she loved than to leave it to chance by marrying a stranger her parents chose for her. But, it was only wishful thinking. Marriage for love was not an option, she knew. Not for her. It was pointless to even entertain the idea, if only for a moment.

"You may not see it now, Sakura-chan," Mebuki said, her tone placating. "But someday will look back and know that this was for the best."

Sakura gritted her teeth and held her tongue. Her brow pulled downward in a frown and she looked down at her hands in her lap, fingers curled tightly into the fabric of her kimono. "Yes, Okaasan," she said, resigned. Her shoulders slumped forward and she felt as though the bars of and invisible cage had closed around her, leaving her no room to move.

The next several days fell into a predictable pattern. Sakura was allowed no farther than the garden and kept under watchful scrutiny, either by her mother or by the guards under Mebuki's orders. It was frustrating to be treated like a child who couldn't obey the rules, but Sakura supposed she had brought it on herself and made no complaint. She tried as best she could to pretend they weren't there, watching her like she would vanish at a moment's notice.

To appease her mother's desire for her to practice 'temperance', Sakura spent much of her time reading poetry and practicing the calligraphy she'd been neglecting. She did enjoy these activities to an extent, but they did little to ease her restlessness.

Mebuki also insisted on drilling her in the most rudimentary of social etiquette. Sakura _knew _how to behave and carry herself in situations where certain etiquette was required and she knew her mother knew that too. She soon decided it must be a form of punishment. Certainly the daily lessons were horribly tedious and left her frustrated enough to make for an effective punishment. And after her patience was already worn thin to the point of breaking, there was the tea ceremony.

Sakura had a very good memory. She could recite many poems verbatim and knew her book of herbal remedies by heart. It was a simple but useful skill, and as such, she knew all the steps of the tea ceremony very well. But even with her exceptional memory for procedure, Sakura still managed to get something wrong, without fail. Her mother nearly had a fit of hysterics when Sakura accidently broke the tea bowl. After that, Mebuki decided to postpone any further lessons for a few days. Needless to say, Sakura was relieved.

* * *

In the following days, Sakura was able to return to her own routines as her mother's constant watch over her began to let up. She no longer had to worry about anyone looming over her shoulder every moment of the day, watching her wherever she went like she would otherwise disappear.

Honestly, her mother could be much too paranoid.

But even if she wasn't being watched over constantly like a mischievous child, the guards still kept a close eye on her whenever she so much as stepped outside. She wanted to tell them to just leave her be, and the words to say so had been on her tongue more than once, but she didn't dare speak them aloud. It really was her own fault after all, even if she wouldn't hesitate to do it again. And she would, as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

Everything would have been much easier for Sakura if her father were home. Where her mother was strict and overprotective, her father had a much more relaxed approach to things. He'd spoiled her, Sakura knew. From the time she was small, he let her have anything she wanted, do anything she wanted.

She was her parents' single surviving child, the others having died in infancy – one born before her and one after, both boys. Sakura wondered, sometimes, if Haruno Kizashi wished one of his sons had lived instead. He treated her in many ways as she imagined he would have treated the sons he'd lost, even going so far as teaching her swordsmanship against Mebuki's frequent protests. But, she tried not to let herself think that way for too long. As it was, her father had begun to distance himself from her and was looking in earnest to find her an appropriate suitor and arrange a marriage.

Before long, her childhood and all its freedoms would just be a distant memory and she would have to start a new life, in a new place, beside a stranger she wasn't sure she could ever love. The thought alone was enough to fill her with a rush of anger and helplessness.

When those feelings took her over, the only way Sakura could find to release them was to retreat into the dojo for an hour or two and go through the stances and exercises her father had taught her with her katana. She would lose herself in the comfortable, practiced repetition of swordplay, imagining an invisible opponent defending and parrying her attacks and returning with their own. It was only when her arms shook from exertion and her breath came in harsh pants, lungs burning, that she would finally stop.

After her energy was spent, she put away her katana and lay sprawled out on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. There was no one to see her here or scold her for looking undignified with her hair falling loose from her plait and strand sticking to her sweaty forehead, her limbs spread-eagled. Here, she could relax.

She felt the satisfaction in her tired muscles that came with vigorous activity, for now ridding her of the restiveness that constantly prickled her mind when she was cooped up at home and under watch. The anger was still there, simmering deep inside, along with the helpless feeling, but she could ignore it and make herself numb to it. She had to. It was the only way she would be able to accept the inescapable future she knew she wanted no part of but had no power to change.

Truly, Sakura did understand the importance of finding a husband, and why her mother was so concerned about Sakura doing anything that might deter potential match. A woman was nothing without a husband to support her – unable to own land or earn a living. Her only other option was to join a temple and become a nun. But as soon as the idea so much as crossed her mind Sakura rejected it without any further thought. Such a life was not the least bit appealing and she wasn't quite so desperate to actually consider it.

The easiest thing to do would be to wait until her parents found someone they thought would be appropriate husband for her and try to make the most of it from there. Maybe, just maybe, fate would surprise her and she _would _fall in love with the man her parents chose. She just hoped that whatever path fate decided for her, it would not be cruel.

* * *

Nearly two weeks passed before Sakura finally found her chance to sneak away again. It was morning, just after breakfast with her mother, when she would usually withdraw to her quarters and stay there until early afternoon, reading the books her father had brought back for her from his travels. Knowing her interest in medicine, he most often brought her books on herbal remedies and the treatments of various wounds, but now and then he might bring her a book of poetry.

Today, she was feeling especially fidgety and unable to focus. The characters seemed to swim on the page and her mind couldn't be bothered to make sense of them, all she could think was that she just really wanted out. She wanted to breathe in fresh, wild, crisp autumn air and hear the breeze rustling through the leaves still clinging to the trees.

On a whim, Sakura slipped out of her room and searched around for any sign of servants or guards nearby. There was no one in sight. Apparently, everyone expected her to stay where she was supposed to now without needing to be looked after. Well, they were wrong about that, but it worked in her favor. If she was careful, she would be back before anyone even suspected she was gone.

Sakura half expected someone to call out to her before she was able to cross the garden and reach to tree line, but no one did. With the trees to conceal her, Sakura was assured that she had made it out without being seen. But of course, the real trick would be getting back in without rousing anyone's attention. That was something she would worry about later.

The forest was awash in the colors of fall, the leaves turning red and gold and orange and beginning to fall from the trees to scatter on the ground, crunching softly under her feet. Though some of the plants, she noticed remained stubbornly green, not yet giving in to the pull of cooler weather that signaled the coming of winter.

She heard a pair of birds chirping to each other, and the flutter of wings overhead. Sakura almost believed she could spread her own wings and take flight, light as she felt now. Gathering up the hem of her skirt so as not to trip, she started to walk more briskly.

After a short while, Sakura came to a familiar structure of slate colored stone steps leading up a long incline, layered with fiery colored leaves and tall trees framing either side, rising to form a canopy high above her head. Sakura started to climb, the path leading her higher and higher up the hillside. Glimpsing through the trees on her right, she saw where the terrain sloped down, and the long drop to the valley far below where she knew the village was although she'd never been there herself.

Soon, she saw the red Torii gates come into view in front of her that marked the entrance of an Inari shrine, flanked by a pair of stone fox statues wearing their bright red votive bibs. But rather than continuing on to the shrine, Sakura veered off the path and approached the edge of the cliff upon which the shrine was built, overlooking the village. A gust of wind pushed against her as Sakura stood mere feet from the steep, abrupt ledge of the cliff and she brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes to take in the sight of the clusters of buildings, some close together and others spread far apart, the expansive fields where the farmers planted their rice, and the tiny, moving figures of townspeople – more people than she'd quite honestly ever seen gathered in one place. Sakura could only imagine the noise and confusion and the energy of such a place.

She had stood at this very place many times, looking down at the village she could never see up close from a bird's eye view, and it always left her breathless with awe. Not to mention standing up so high, the rest of the world appearing so small was exhilarating and made her heart feel as though it was about to drop into her stomach.

There was a sound behind her, a scuff of feet on the ground, and Sakura spun around with a gasp, having thought she was alone. A man stood perhaps a yard or two away, watching her. No, not a man, she realized as she took in the slight roundness of his still boyish features. He was probably her age, or not much older. It would not be the first time Sakura had encountered a villager or traveler when they came to pay their respects at the shrine, but she was sure she'd never seen this boy before. Definitely, she'd have remembered if she had.

He wore a deep blue kimono, accentuated with a leaf pattern and highlighting the vibrant blue of his eyes. He had the look of someone who spent much time outside, his complexion a few shades darker than her own but not as brown the farmers she'd in passing, nor did his hands have the thick, rugged appearance of one who worked in the fields. His hair was yellow, like sunlight, and unruly, a long fringe hanging in his eyes and sticking up in all directions in a way that made him look a little wild. Also, his feet were bare.

"Good morning," he said, too loud, smiling broadly to show all his teeth.

"Ah, good morning," Sakura said back, and gave a slight bow in his direction, which he did not return. "I didn't think anyone else was here, I should probably be going."

"But you just got here." He sounded strangely disappointed at the thought of her leaving.

"I –" she started to speak, but stopped, not sure what she wanted to say. He seemed friendly enough, but that same friendliness was what made her uneasy. What did he want with her?

As if he'd heard her thought the boy spoke again in that too loud voice of his. "I noticed you come here a lot, so I thought I should come out and say 'hi'."

"You live around here?" Sakura said, surprised. She had come to the conclusion that he was a traveler on his way through, but he'd been here all along and somehow had noticed her without her ever noticing him.

He nodded. "It gets kinda lonely sometimes though. Most people aren't very nice, but you're different," he said it so confidently, like it was just a fact; like he actually knew her. "What's your name?"

She wondered if she should tell him, or leave as quickly as she could. She didn't understand what his intentions were, for all she knew he could be dangerous and here she was without a weapon. Stupid. And yet, she felt oddly compelled to answer him. "Haruno Sakura."

The boy smiled, much more softly than before, his eyes crinkling in a way that could have only been genuine. "Sakura-chan. It fits you, `cause you hair looks like Sakura blossoms in spring."

Sakura couldn't keep her face from flushing. She was not used to compliments from anyone besides her father and definitely not from a boy so close to her own age. But she really was not comfortable with the idea of blushing over a stranger whose name she didn't even know so she composed herself and asked, "And who are you?"

It came out sounding rather rude, Sakura thought, but the boy didn't seem bothered. "Naruto," he said.

"Is that all?" she said, and Naruto nodded. No family name, so he was a commoner then. Something about him didn't seem to match with that though; there was something very _uncommon _about him. But what it could possibly be Sakura couldn't pin down.

Naruto stepped closer to her and Sakura saw for the first time the unusual markings on his face. Three dark lines on each cheek, like whiskers. How could she have not noticed such a thing before? It was just another thing she added to the strangeness of this person. He stopped with just a few feet separating them, and Sakura wanted to step back but she was already standing very close to the edge of the cliff.

"I really should be getting home now, but it was nice to meet you, Naruto-san," she said, quickly skirting around him, relieved that he made no move block her or grab for her.

"Wait, Sakura-chan," he called after her, almost desperately. Sakura paused and looked back. Naruto gave her and apologetic look and raised one hand to scratch at the back of his head. "I'm sorry. I scared you, huh? I just don't meet many, uh, people."

Sakura wanted to ask why he chose to live up here instead of down in the village if he was lonely. But, it wasn't her business. "It's alright, but I actually do need to get home. I'm kind of not supposed to be out here," she said, and wondered why she would tell him that.

Despite everything in her saying she couldn't trust someone she'd only just met – and in the middle of the woods too – Sakura found she did trust him, at least a little. Naruto, for all his peculiarities, did not strike her as deceptive.

"Oh, okay. Can I see you again, Sakura-chan?"

Well, Sakura didn't see what it could hurt, so long as her mother never found out. "I suppose, but I don't know when I'll be able to come out here again," she said.

"I can wait," Naruto said with a grin. Then, he walked past her and headed for the path Sakura had followed on her way up.

He looked back over his shoulder when he realized she hadn't moved. "Are you coming, Sakura-chan?"

"What?"

"I'm walking you back home," said Naruto without preamble.

Sakura felt a spike of irritation. "I can find my way just fine."

Naruto tilted his head at her, his expressive face showing clear confusion. "Did I say somethin` wrong?"

Okay, she might have overreacted. He was clearly just trying to do the polite thing and she shouldn't let her pride get in the way. "No," she said, sighing. "I was the one who was rude." Maybe her mother was right about her lack of manners, but she'd never acted this way with anyone else before.

"Oh." And apparently, that was the end of it.

* * *

The walk back was mostly silent, but it was not an uncomfortable silence. Sakura took the chance to observe Naruto more closely as he walked at her side. He was a few inches taller than her, not exceptionally tall for his age and he carried himself as though he was just barely tethered to the earth, lightly and unrestrained. He smelled of the forest, like dirt and rain and something wild she couldn't identify. And he seemed perfectly at ease going around without shoes, unconcerned where he might step.

"Why don't you wear shoes?" Sakura said before she could think to stop herself.

Naruto glanced down at his bare feet as if he'd just now realized they were uncovered. "Guess I'm just used to it."

They reached the edge of the forest sooner than Sakura would have liked. She saw the sprawling structure of her home come into view ahead of her and she froze, laying one hand against the rough surface of a nearby tree trunk. She dreaded the moment when she would be trapped within those walls again. At least Mebuki didn't appear to be waiting for her this time.

"Sakura-chan, is something wrong?" Naruto said. Sakura could feel his eyes on her and she couldn't miss the honest concern in his voice.

She turned to face him full, forcing a wan smile. "Of course, everything's fine. I can go on my own from here, thank you Naruto-san."

"Just Naruto," he corrected her. "Next time, just call me Naruto."

Sakura nodded. "Alright, if that's what you want. Good-bye, Naruto." She started at to turn back around when Naruto suddenly reached out, seizing her wrist in a firm, but gentle hold.

Stunned, Sakura look at his hand, much larger than hers and easily encircling her wrist and then flicked her eyes up to look at his face. His expression was much more somber than anything he'd shown before, his endlessly blue eyes showing a deep sadness. "You know, there's something kind of sad about you," he said. "You're like me, aren't you?"

She stared at him for a long moment, struggling to understand what he could possibly mean. "Like you? What do you mean?"

"You're alone." His hand dropped from her wrist, but Sakura could still feel the heat from his touch, searing her like a hot brand on her skin.

She couldn't seem to find her voice and could only watch silently as Naruto smiled sadly and suddenly she was watching his back as he made his way back to wherever he'd come, the forest seemed to swallow him, his form disappearing like mist. As if he'd never been there at all.

* * *

**AN: **I really wanted the first chapter to be longer (sighs) but I ran out of time. I hope it's at least a good enough introduction to spark some interest. I'm really doing something here that I've never tried before, and I did a lot of research on the time period during which this story takes place. I am not an expert though and any errors are entirely my fault. Here are some notes of some of the history and facts relevant to this chapter.

– Sakura has long hair in this fic because in the time period (the Feudal Era, which lasted from 1185 to 1603) women from the higher social classes did not cut their hair, only peasant woman did because they needed their hair to be practical for working out in the fields.

– When Sakura asks Naruto for his last name, he does not give one and she assumes he must be a commoner (peasant). The reason being that only higher classes – Samurai class and above – were allowed to have surnames. The only exception would be if a commoner had done some special service for their daimyo and were then awarded a surname.

– In the early Feudal era, it was not unheard of for woman to be a warrior, but later on women lost a lot of their power and were treated as property. A woman was brought up to believe she was inferior to men and taught the 'three obediences': "When she is young, she obeys her father; when she is married, she obeys her husband; when she is widowed, she obeys her son." Yeah, definitely doesn't sound like a great time to live as a woman, I'd say Sakura's reluctance and rebelliousness is totally understandable.

– The tea ceremony. Sounds like it sound should be pretty simple right? Wrong. Apparently doing it right can take years of practice.

– Inari; a kami (god) from the Shinto faith, patron of swords smiths, merchants, actors and prostitutes, and associated with foxes, agriculture, fertility, rice, tea, sake, prosperity and worldly success. This is actually pretty important later on.

Remember, reviews are always welcome and greatly appreciated. Don't be afraid to leave me your thoughts down below. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **So, it's been a few months. I hope you hadn't all given up on me, though I wouldn't blame you. First off, let me just say you guys are awesome. Such lovely feedback, it made me smile. All the reviews, favs, and follows are sososo appreciated. I thought people would find this one kind of... weird, and it is, but I've mostly had a lot of fun writing it (with some spots of hair-tearing frustration here and there).

I hope this chapter won't be too much of a let down after the extended wait. I didn't get around to covering near as much as I wanted to.

* * *

The rest of the day, Sakura kept thinking over what Naruto had said to her, to the point that it seemed to consume her every thought. Part of her railed against the claims of a relative stranger and wanted to deny that he could possibly be right. But the more she thought about it the less reason she could find to do so.

She was surrounded by servants that were ready to jump at any request she made and the guards watched over her and kept her safe, but there was not a single one she could call a friend_. _She could not speak to them as an equal nor could she think of any of them as companions. Most of them would probably be appalled if she even tried to befriend them.

Her mother was overbearing, even though she meant well, but her determination to mold Sakura a certain way had created chasm between them that could not be bridged. And her father, the only person she'd been close to as a child, had drawn away from her very suddenly and set about finding his daughter a suitable husband.

Though she was not alone in the literal sense, she certainly felt very alone. No one saw her for who she was, only who she should be. No one had ever really asked what she wanted or seemed to give a thought to how she might feel. It was very isolating and Sakura often thought she might as well have been invisible.

But somehow, with Naruto she had felt a little less alone. Maybe it was because he didn't seem to have any expectations of her, or maybe it was because he was the first boy her age to show some interest in her, though she still couldn't figure out why. He talked to her like he actually understood how she felt, like he actually cared. It was comforting, but also unsettling, as she found herself trying to decide if the whole encounter had even been real.

Naruto had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and disappeared much the same way. Although Sakura didn't much believe in spirits or ghosts, she had to wonder if the strange young man had actually been some otherworldly being, or even a simple conjuring of her imagination. But then she'd remember the heat of his hand on her wrist, telling her mind that he was very much real and alive.

The whole encounter just seemed too odd to be real and at the same time too real to have been imagined, but Sakura supposed the only way to be sure was to go back and meet Naruto again as he'd asked. If he did appear again, she would ask him just who he was, and what he was, if she had to.

* * *

Sakura's mind was resolute two days later when she slipped out into the forest, making her way briskly up the path to the Inari shrine. At the top of the path, she saw the shrine come into view, but no Naruto in sight. She sighed gustily, unable to understand why she felt so disappointed. She should have known. Though now Sakura had to wonder if she was losing her senses to have imagined something so vividly.

It was a harsh dose of reality, especially with the realization that she'd been excited at the possibility of seeing Naruto again. Her mind didn't want to accept that what she believed to have experienced was not actually real. But, just because he wasn't here now didn't mean he was just something she imagined. He had no way of knowing when she would come back.

Sakura wandered toward the shrine, passing under the torii and peeking around in the hope of spotting blond hair or a blue kimono. Of course, there was nothing of the sort. When she reached the end of the shrine, she started back out, intending to return home and try again another day.

She walked through the last of the torii when she heard a voice call out to her off to her left. "Sakura-chan."

Sakura turned, and there he was, emerging out from the trees that lead deeper into the forest. How had she not heard him make a sound before he said her name?

"I was starting to think you might not come back," Naruto said.

"I was starting to wonder if you even real." It sounded ridiculous now that she'd said it out loud. She waited for Naruto to laugh at her, and to her mortification that was exactly what he did. His laughter was deep and unrestrained and though Sakura liked the sound of it, she didn't like that it was at her expense.

"Stop laughing at me!" she said, her voice rising shrilly, but Naruto just hunched over, arms around his middle, and laughed harder.

Sakura's hands formed fists at her sides and she had to fight the urge to hit him. It really wasn't that funny. Not from her end at least, being the one laughed at.

Finally, Naruto's laughter settled and he straightened. "Well, I'm here and I'm definitely real," he said, amusement bubbling over in his voice, biting down more laughter. He lifted one arm and held it out towards her. "But you can poke me if you wanna make sure, Sakura-chan."

"Don't tease me," she said, half turning away and folding her arms.

She'd wanted to question Naruto, but she wouldn't be able to bring herself to now. He had already laughed at her once. What would he think of her and her sanity if she accused him of not being real and then asked him if he were actually human? She'd just been overthinking all this, her imagination running wild. Yes, Naruto seemed very different than anyone Sakura had ever met before, but that could simply be because he lived in the woods outside civilization. Someone like that wouldn't act the way she was used to, would seem strange and otherworldly.

"What are you thinkin' about, Sakura-chan?" Naruto said. His voice was much closer than it had been before and Sakura raised her head to see him standing only a few inches in front of her, leaning over to try to see face and looking at her intently.

"Naruto," she scolded, taking a quick step back to get some space between them. "Not so close."

Naruto straightened, a flash of something like hurt in his eyes that had Sakura immediately regretting her reaction. "Oh, I forgot you don't like it when I get too close," Naruto said, scratching at the back of his head.

She shook her head. "It's not that," she said, though it was. Naruto seemed to have no concept of boundaries and she wasn't used to being around someone who invaded her personal space so casually. "You just surprised me."

However, Naruto didn't appear to be listening. He was looking off into the forest, towards the mountains and then he glanced back at her with a grin. She couldn't begin to guess what he was thinking, but she was sure if any other man had looked at her like that, with such a mischievous light in their eyes, she would believe he had very indecent intentions. But on Naruto it just made him look like an ill-behaved child about to play a trick. Either way, Sakura wasn't sure she trusted that expression.

"Sakura-chan, I want to show you something. Is that okay?" he said.

"I… suppose?" Sakura answered, confused.

She was finding that Naruto seemed to move rather quickly from one thought to the next and she was momentarily caught off guard by the abrupt change of topic. One moment he looked hurt by her apparent rejection of his closeness, and the next it was all but forgotten. Sakura wondered if she would ever grow used to his unusual mannerisms.

"This way," Naruto said, and turned back in the direction he'd come.

When Sakura did not immediately follow, he looked back over his shoulder. "Aren't you coming, Sakura-chan?"

His tone was childishly impatient tone and Sakura bit down the desire to scold him for being rude. Honestly, this boy really knew how to stir up her temper, and he didn't even seem to realize he was doing it. Taking a breath to steady herself and her rising temper, she gathered up the hem of her kimono to follow Naruto deeper into the woods pushing aside the hesitance she felt. For all Mebuki's scolding of her recklessness, Sakura had never dared to go any farther into the forest past the shrine for fear of becoming lost. She wasn't completely irresponsible.

Naruto seemed to know his way rather well though, she thought as he led her farther away from the shrine. There was no discernible path here and the trees and underbrush was much ticker. Sakura had to pick her way carefully to try to avoid snagging her clothes, though she knew it wasn't doing much good. When she got home, she'd have to hide away her kimono somewhere the servants wouldn't find it. Fortunately, it wasn't one of her nicer kimonos and no one was likely to notice if it disappeared.

Sakura felt decidedly clumsy as she tramped over dry leaves that crunched loudly under her feet, stumbled over tree roots and fallen logs and pushed low hanging branches out of her way. While Naruto, walking just a few feet ahead of her, hardly made a sound as he walked. He was completely at home here, she noticed, as much a part of the forest as the birds, deer or other any other animal.

"Are we almost there?" Sakura asked after they'd been walking some time. By now, they were deep into the forest, close to the mountains. Sakura had never been so far from home and she was sure without Naruto she'd have been hopelessly lost. She certainly hoped he knew what he was doing.

Naruto paused and she stopped just behind him. "It's not far now. Can you hear it?"

"Hear?" Sakura turned her head one way and then the other, seeing nothing but endless trees in all directions and she couldn't hear anything unusual; just the distant call of a bird. "No I –" she started to say, and then paused, her ears suddenly catching a sound, like rushing water.

With a wave of his hand to urge her on, Naruto started off again and took her down the side of a steep slope. The trees thinned and opened up into a valley clearing with a roaring waterfall gushing over the side of a cliff that was at least a hundred meters tall, emptying into a large pool.

Here, in this hidden valley untouched by human hand, the grass was still lush, vibrant green and dotted with wildflowers, as if unaffected by the coming winter. In fact, it was unseasonably warm for autumn. It gave Sakura the feeling that this place was its own separate world, like she'd stepped out of the world she had always known and into one she never knew existed.

Sakura spread her arms wide, closing her eyes and spinning a slow circle all the way around in a moment of abandon. She stopped and tilted her head back, eyes still closed, and breathed deep. The wild air filled her lungs and tasted like summer.

"It's beautiful," she said, looking to Naruto who was watching her with a warm expression. "But, why did you want to bring me here?"

He shrugged. "I thought you'd like it. Do you?"

"I do. It's amazing," Sakura said, nodding. When had she last felt so happy? She honestly couldn't remember.

Naruto stretched his arms high above his head and threw himself back gracelessly to land with a heavy thud in the grass. "Good. If Sakura-chan is happy that's all that matters."

"What exactly is this place though? It feels… different here somehow," she said.

Naruto's expression became pinched with thought, his brow deeply furrowed and his mouth a thin line, like putting his thoughts into words was a terrible strain for him. "I guess – you could say it has a lot of special energy. Something like that."

"Is it always like this then?"

Naruto gave a humming sound that Sakura took for a yes. "Even in winter?" she said.

"Yup," said Naruto, grinning.

"That's – something like this shouldn't be possible." Every rational part of her mind said it was impossible. A place that felt like summer, warm and green regardless of the season, just didn't exist. Yet here she was, seeing it with her own eyes.

"Why not? There's a lot of things you probably never thought existed or were possible, but that's just 'cause you're not looking clearly. If you open your eyes, you'll find a bunch of things you never thought you would," Naruto said, reaching one arm towards the sky, palm out as if to grasp the sun in his hand. From his position on the ground, he looked up at her, his features devoid of their usual playfulness. "The world you think you see is only half of what's actually there."

Sakura was sure she looked as shocked as she felt. For some reason, she hadn't expected such insight from Naruto. He just didn't seem like someone prone to deep thinking and in some ways came across almost childlike, but apparently she had misjudged him.

"What? You're looking at me funny. Sakura-chan?"

Sakura shook her head, and reached to brush the strands of hair that had come free of her plait away from her face. "It's nothing. I just hadn't thought you were the philosophical sort."

"Philo-what?"

"Nothing. Nothing. Never mind, it seems it comes and goes with you," she said, crouching down next to him. She yanked out a handful of grass stems, which she then sprinkled over his face and laughed as he spat and snorted when a couple pieces fell into his mouth.

He sat up, wiping at his face and hair where the grass still clung. "Sakura-chan, you're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"Well, I suppose that makes us even," said Sakura, and she tucked her legs underneath her to sit beside him.

She gazed out at the valley, the din of the crashing waterfall filling her ears and a pleasantly cool breeze causing the grass to sway. "It seems so peaceful here, it's almost like the rest of the world doesn't matter," she said. It was more of a private thought, accidently spoken aloud and she didn't realize she said it until Naruto responded.

"I'll bring you here any time you want if it makes Sakura-chan happy," His tone was light at first, but when he continued, it was suddenly much more serious. "But you can't ever come here alone."

"Huh?" Sakura looked at him, surprised to hear him sound so adamant, and the expression he wore was very grave as well. "Why? I'm not sure how we even got here. I couldn't find my way alone even if I wanted to."

"It's 'cause there are things out here you don't know about, things that don't like humans. They'll try to hurt you if they can," Naruto said.

Sakura was skeptical and growing tired of Naruto's tendency to be so evasive. She wished he would just say what he meant plainly. "What sort of things, exactly?"

He hesitated, perhaps wondering how much to say. But really, that only made Sakura all the more determined to get the truth from him. There was so much she didn't know about him, and if there was one thing Sakura couldn't stand it was to feel at a loss for understanding in any given situation.

She was a smart girl, always had been, and she often made sure other people knew it too – another of her many traits her mother wanted to suppress, because no man wanted a wife who acted as if she knew more than he did, even if it were the truth. But all her practical knowledge seemed to do her no good here. Naruto had somehow managed to make her feel completely out of her element, like she didn't know anything at all. It was tremendously frustrating.

"Nogitsune," he said, his unwavering gaze meeting her eyes. "There are a lot of yokai out here, most of them keep to themselves, but the wild foxes hate humans. They'll try to trick you and make you get lost, or even possess you. I know it might be hard to believe at first, but it's true."

Sakura couldn't see any sign of deceit in the way Naruto looked her in the eyes to evenly. If it were anyone else, she likely would have dismissed everything he said as superstitious nonsense, but from what little she knew of Naruto she felt very strongly that he was not one to lie. The jumbled pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together and all the things that had defied her understanding before were becoming clearer.

"Why do you live out here then? Aren't you worried the nogitsune will come after you?" she said. Though part of her felt she already knew the answer, she wanted to hear it from Naruto. "And why do you talk about humans as if you're separate from them?"

Naruto smiled then, but it was not the easy, happy smile he'd shown earlier, but something resigned and almost… sad. "The nogitsune are afraid of me, they won't come near me and they won't come near you if you're with me."

"So that's why you insisted on walking me to the edge of the woods before," she said, and though it wasn't really a question, Naruto hummed an agreement.

"Sakura-chan is smart, so I think you already know I'm not human," Naruto said and finally looked away, taking a sudden interest in the grass. "I didn't want to tell you at first, 'cause I was afraid you'd be scared. I've been alone for… a long time. It was nice to be around someone for a change. I really like you, Sakura-chan."

His eyes met hers again and Sakura's breath caught. She wasn't used to this, being around someone who looked like a young man – though apparently was not even human – and was so direct with his feelings. She wouldn't have known how to react to a _man _saying he liked her, let alone a yokai.

Naruto was a yokai, it still hadn't settled in her mind yet in a strange way, it made sense. She'd felt something about him was not normal, was inhuman, but she wasn't afraid. Naruto had been nothing but kind to her and whether he was human or not, in the end it made no difference.

"So then, what does that make you exactly?" she said.

Naruto only gave her a smile, and a very cheeky one at that. "It's a secret. But since Sakura-chan is smart, I bet you'll figure it out. It'll be more fun that way."

"More fun for you maybe," said Sakura.

"Sakura-chan knows me so well already."

Truthfully, Sakura wasn't sure she believed any of this yet. If she had, she imagined she would not be so calm. Even if some of the things Naruto was saying made a strange kind of sense, he still had every appearance of being as human as anyone else – admittedly odd, but still human nonetheless.

With a sudden gasp, Sakura rushed to stand. "I have to get back. I don't know how long I've been gone." She was aware she was starting to panic, but it had to have been a least a couple of hours since she left. There was no way her absence hadn't been noticed.

Naruto stood, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "It's okay, Sakura-chan, I'll get you home."

They trekked back up the slope and out of the valley. Sakura felt a light-headedness wash over her and she knew something had changed around her. The atmosphere was different, the air cooler and smelling of decaying leaves instead of sweet grass and wildflowers. She almost didn't want to look back, and when she did, Sakura saw exactly what she expected. The summer valley was gone, and she couldn't even hear the waterfall anymore. It was simply vanished.

* * *

Somehow, Sakura couldn't seem to remember leaving the forest, all she knew was that when she got home, not near as much time had passed as she'd thought and no one realized she was ever gone. It was almost like she hadn't left at all and she couldn't make sense of it. That place in the forest had been real. Naruto was real, she was sure of it. But every time she left the woods – left Naruto – it was like that reality became distorted, almost like she'd woken from a very vivid dream.

She wasn't sure what she'd gotten into, befriending a yokai when she should have been thinking about her future the way her mother wanted her to. Now that she was home and back in the everyday norm of her life, the doubts started to come. She thought that this with Naruto, whatever it was, couldn't possibly last. Eventually, she would leave home and marry and Naruto would surely lose interest in her at some point. She was just a human after all, and even if he said he liked her now, she was probably just some passing fancy, just something to entertain him.

Though she had some idea of what Naruto was, it only seemed to make her understanding of his nature all the less clear. Why he would take an interest in a human, and why her in particular. She couldn't gauge his intentions because she couldn't judge them on a human scale. Maybe he really was just lonely. It could be just that simple; he didn't have to have any hidden motivation the way people usually did.

One morning, Sakura was working on some calligraphy when a maid came to her to inform her that Mebuki had received a letter. Apparently, Sakura's father was on his way home with important news. She felt her heart sink. It wasn't hard for her to figure out what that meant. Her future was drawing near.

* * *

**AN: **I have such mixed feelings with this chapter. There are parts of it I don't like and I think it doesn't flow as well as I wanted it to, but at the same time I feel like it's probably not as bad as I _think _it is. I'll leave it to you to decide. If I'd let myself agonize over it any more I probably would never get around to posting it.

I'm well aware that Naruto and Sakura probably aren't acting quite as their canon selves, but I'm trying to keep them recognizable at least. Regardless, 'my' Naruto and Sakura aren't canon Naruto and Sakura, because they don't have the same experiences or backgrounds as the manga characters (and I can't stand Sakura or Naruto in canon anymore, they are both _terrible, _but that's neither here nor there).

I struggled a bit with how to present Sakura's reactions in this chapter. For one, I didn't want her to freak out, but I also didn't feel I could just have her totally believe everything right off the bat. I mean, would you? Basically, she knows to some degree that Naruto isn't human, and she was suspicious before he even admitted it, but she'll need more convincing. Also, even though Sakura is a bit more on the skeptic side of things, the supernatural is very deeply ingrained in Japanese culture, especially in the Shinto religion, and seems to have been generally accepted as a reality, which makes it a little easier for her to believe.

Chapter Notes:

– Yokai: The word (sometimes spelled 'youkai') is often translated as demon, monster, spirit or goblin, but in Japanese folklore it also encompasses ghosts, gods (kami), spirit possession, and other supernatural phenomenon. The term is very broad and rather vague and there is no exact translation into English. Their moral alignments can range from evil to benevolent and they come in a variety of forms and classifications. There's really only one type of yokai that will be getting any focus in this fic though. Can you guess which one? It's pretty obvious actually, lol.

– Nogitsune: Also called yako, and translating as either 'field fox' or 'wild fox'. They tend to be mischievous, but can be malicious, going out of their way to trick, manipulate, mislead, torment, or even kill humans.

Some are said to even possess people (the victims for some reason, are always women) which is called 'kitsunetsuki', for reasons ranging from revenge, disturbing its nap, or if it wants something that it can only get through manipulation, like food or having a shrine built to it. Symptoms of fox possession include, pain, madness, running naked through the streets, collapsing, frothing at the mouth, violent behavior and more. My guess is that this particular tradition in the myths came from a lack of knowledge and understanding of certain sicknesses and mental illness.

Nogitsune are also afraid of the benevolent foxes, called zenko (literally meaning 'good fox'). I know at least a few of you have figured out where this is going. I'm not trying very hard to hide it anyway, lol.

See you all next update, hopefully sooner rather than later.


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